


“I told you to wait..”

by loveydoveyowo



Series: Gross Boyfriends [6]
Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: David’s son, Dead Dogs, Ends in 2018, Fluff, M/M, Major character death - Freeform, Suicide, father david - Freeform, ghost!max, max died 1945, max named his dog Houston, mentions of toxic fumes and hallucinations, takes place in 1975, werewolf!space kid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-24
Updated: 2018-11-24
Packaged: 2019-08-28 18:54:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,663
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16728951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveydoveyowo/pseuds/loveydoveyowo
Summary: Neil is a werewolf who, on a full moon in August, decided to use the haunted house as a safe place to hide when he exhausted all other options.That’s where he met Max.Max is a ghost.





	“I told you to wait..”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi so I’m sorry for this
> 
> One major fic out of three done,, please don’t kill me

The old, dusty wood underneath his feet croaked with each step he took.

Neil shuddered and gripped his flashlight harder. He glanced around the thin hallway he is currently walking through, gripping his letterman jacket tight around his body.

The full moon’s light spilled through the broken window’s glass. It created a spider-like pattern on the floor, and Neil carefully avoided being touched by it.

Once in the living room, he sighed in relief and moved his flashlight around to look at things. The furniture was either broken to bits or musty. Broken glass litter the carpet, and Neil wondered about how it got so far here when the windows in the room were intact. The only window broken was the one in the hall.

Neil shook his head, freeing himself from his thoughts. No, not the time, he scolded himself. Too much fear and you’ll go furry in a second.

It was safe here, though. No one came this far out off the streets, or ventured near the house on a full moon for some reason. It was haunted.

And it probably was. Neil was a werewolf; he can’t really cross ghosts out of the equation. He got his salt just in case.

Neil brushed off a part of the wooden floor so he can sit on the spot, knees drawn up and tucked into his chest. His hand was twitching every second, making the flashlight’s beam go wonky, so he simply put it down on the floor beside him.

And then it grew cold, and his stomach coiled and his breath got caught in his throat.

The wind blew harshly against the house, making him jump. His breath came out in pants, made visible in the stale air.

The whispering up the stairs was becoming louder.

Neil felt his maw stretch and his teeth sharpen. He can see, out of the corner of his eye, golden light spilling onto the floors below. His own eyes’ glow.

Swiftly, he turned around, a snarl on his face, then stopped short.

That.. isn’t a ghost.

The boy on the steps emitted a faint glow, but ultimately, was see-through. What caught Neil’s attention, though, was how gorgeous he was.

The boy was lithe. If Neil looked closely, he could see golden-brown skin, barely protected by the shorts and shirt he wore. Narrowed, green eyes and thick black lashes, and to top it all off, a mess of curly, ebony hair.

Neil could feel his gay little heart jump.

Neil gulped. “Are you-“

“Dead?” The boy questioned, an eyebrow quirked. Neil shivered.

“From heaven.”

The boy stopped and stared, floating himself up above the railing. “Are you hitting on me?”

“N-no!” Neil blushed. “It’s a genuine question.”

“Nope. Just dead.” He turned himself around midair. “What are you?”

Taken aback, Neil looked down at his hands. “Um. Alive.”

“Dipshit. No normal human being has glowing eyes.”

Neil scratched the back of his head, plump lips pursed and pulling into a frown. “Ah. Werewolf.”

Silence. Thick, thick silence. Neil shifted anxiously, then spluttered out, “oh, don’t laugh!”

“I’m not,” the boy finally answered, and when Neil looked up, he was right above him. “I just never saw one before. What’s your name?”

“Neil.”

“Cool. Sounds like a nerd-type of thing,” the ghost answered. He grinned. “Max. Pleasure to meet you.”

Neil blinked rapidly. “Uh. Same. I mean, you too.”

—————

After that, Neil started to come more. 

Max was just.. a whole joy to be around. They would talk about what changed between Max’s time and Neil’s time. Or just anything, really.

It’s been a whole month of constant visiting during the night. Neil’s heart really can’t handle the cute, transparent boy, waiting patiently for him on the rug.

Tonight, though, it was different. He could here barking in echo affect, and then Max’s gleeful laughter.

Curiously, Neil went up the porch stairs in rapid steps and knocked on the door, even though no one can really open it. The laughter ceased, but the barking went up. Neil can hear the excitement behind the noises.

Neil huffed a chuckle under his breath and slid all the bags onto his right hand, so he could open the door with his left. “Max?” He called. “I’m-“

A flurry of movement from the stairs, and a little terrier was flying down, straight towards him. Neil cursed so loudly it echoed and stumbled, his legs shocked when the animal went through his legs.

Max was laughing above him. “Damn! I haven’t heard you curse before!”

Neil groaned.

Max snickered and swooped down to pluck the wiggling puppy from the ground. He steadily floated down and waited whilst Neil gathered his limbs. “You okay?”

“Y-yeah.” Neil coughed into a hand and pushed himself up. “Who’s the little guy? I’ve never seen him before.”

Max beamed, and Neil melted. “He’s my dog from my timeline! Houston!” Max cuddles the little dog to his chest. “He just woke up, I guess. You disturbed the resting grounds too much.”

Neil squinted, and Max smirked. “‘Disturbed’?” He waved an arm around the house. “I cleaned this place up.”

“And I appreciate that.” Max nodded, and his smirk softened. “Thanks. What will you be doing?”

“Fixing the windows.” He gestured to the broken one, down the hall. “I hope the window I bought didn’t break. Thanks, Houston.”

“Don’t blame him. You’re a dog too; you should understand.”

Max didn’t flinch when a tool went through his body.

————

Neil had busted the window down with a crowbar in nothing but a black shirt, and it was a bad idea in autumn, but at least he wasn’t sweating in his letterman jacket.

This probably isn’t how you remove and install windows, Neil thought to himself as he hooked his clawed fingers under the frame, but he’ll fix it once it’s done.

The frame out, he let it drop by his feet. He wiped his forehead and sighed, turning around to sit beside Max on the couch.

Max looked up from playing with the ghost of Neil’s phone. “How is it?”

“Going good so far. Nothing collapsed,” he answered, leaning back and yawning. Max hummed and went quiet.

It was comfortable. Neil eyed the ceiling and walls, thinking of how he should fix it. The walls itself aren’t rotten, since they aren’t wood, but the floors.. ergh. So much work.

“Want to go out on the porch?” Neil asked, standing up. He clicked his tongue to Houston, holding up a ball. “C’mere, boy!”

Max grunted. “Wish you could carry me,” he grumbled, simply floating off the couch and going through the wall.

Neil shook his head fondly and opened the door for the ghost puppy to run through. He shut the door and sat on the porch’s edge, Max settling beside him.

Together, they enjoyed the night’s cool air.

“Max,” Neil spoke up, watching his breath linger in the air. “How did you die?”

Max’s whole form went rigid, and anxiety seized his heart. He opened his mouth, but Max gave him a look, and he closed it.

Max fiddled with the hem of his shirt, and Neil patiently waited. Finally, he tugged the shirt down, revealing his long neck and sharp collarbone.

Neil paused for a moment, then reached out to touch the bruises the marked Max’s neck. And despite being dead, despite it was Neil’s fingers encased with sharp cold, Max shivered.

Max bit his lip and pulled away, reluctantly. “I was strangled,” he said, hoarsely. He hugged himself, but refused to shut his eyes. 

“Oh,” Neil whispered, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He leaned in, uncaring of the cold, and curled his arms around Max’s flickering waist.

Max twisted himself around and hugged back, body shaking. Neil opened his eyes, which are clouded with thoughts, and stared at Houston.

Houston stared back.

“Max,” he murmured, and the ghost pulled away. “How did Houston died?”

Max pressed his cold lips to his, and his eyes sparked.

Don’t worry about it, whispered a voice in his mind, before it completely went blank.

—————

Morning.

The autumn leaves were beginning to fall, and they crunched under his boots as he turned and went through the open, rusty gate. A scent was caught in the air, and it sparked his curiosity. Who else would be here?

He went deeper into the property, to the backyard. There, a familiar figure kneeled in front of a headstone, bent forward with clasped hands.

“Father David?”

David jolted in surprise. He turned around and blinked, then smiled wide. “Neil! It’s a surprise to see you here!”

“You too,” he replied, stuffing his hands into his pockets and walking closer. “What are you doing?”

David gestured to the stone. “Praying,” he replied. He sat back on his calves and sighed. “Poor boy. That family had the worse of it.”

Neil perked up. He sat next to the man. “Oh?”

David nodded and sat the candle on the grass. “Yes. The poor family had been tortured by nightmares and hallucinations by a gas leakage.” He shook his head. “Story goes that the child was strangled in his sleep by his own mother, but no one really knows.”

Neil turned his gaze to the headstone. No name was engraved on it, but he knew who it was. “The dog?”

David’s look was piercing. “What dog?”

“Oh!” Neil blushed and shook his head. “It’s just, I read the reports on the house,” he stuttered, keeping his eyes firm on the stone. “That there was barks heard from the house. Or something like that.”

David hummed, slightly disbelieving. “I don’t know about it, but I’ll look in the town’s records.” He clapped Neil’s shoulder and stood up. “Don’t you have school?”

Neil shook his head. “Senior skip day,” he answered, staying where he was. “You go. I’ll pray.”

David nodded, proud, and turned around.

Neil didn’t watch him go. He stayed, staring at the headstone, even as his knees and calves went numb.

————

Every day, the house was looking more like a, well, house.

Neil brushed his hands against his jeans and joined Max on the couch. He finished replacing every floorboard in the house. Well, hopefully; it took a lot of blood and sweat these past few months.

“Neil.” Neil looked up to look into Max’s serious eyes. “I want to talk to you.”

Neil frowned and turned to give Max his undivided attention. “What’s up?”

Max took a deep breath. “I know what you’re doing.”

Neil scrunched his eyebrows downward in confusion. “Huh?”

“I know what you’re doing.” Max floated up and waved his arms around. “Fixing up the place. Spending way too much time with me.”

Neil got it this time, and it made his back crawl with guilt. Max caught his sheepish look and hardened his gaze. “No, Neil. No. Don’t prepare your own coffin for me.”

“But—!”

“No.” Max gripped his shoulders. He took a deep breath. “Everyone dies, Neil,” he continued, soft. “One day, you’ll grow old and die. Then we can be together and happy.”

Neil pursed his lips. “I just.. want to be with you,” he admitted.

Max sighed. “I know. But if you die just for me, Neil, I’ll never forgive you. Understand?”

Neil nodded, emotions hidden behind his eyes.

————

Max never told him How Houston died, but Neil once saw the glass shards dug into the puppy’s neck and underbelly. He summed up what happened.

Today, Neil came in the morning for only the second time this whole year. He carried three buckets of paint, and behind him, David carried two more.

“It was nice of you Neil,” David was saying as they went up the new porch steps, “to renovate this place. I’m sure the family would’ve appreciated it.”

Neil nodded absentmindedly, and David frowned at him, however he didn’t notice.

He pushed the door open with his shoulder and allowed David in. David surveyed the area, impressed. “You were working on this house the whole year?”

“Yeah,” Neil answered, relaxed and smiling. He sat down the paint and flexed his fingers. “What I’m thinking is a sort of peach colour in the living room and hallways with a darker shade as decoration?”

“Good idea,” David replied, and together, they got to work.

—————

Fall again.

Neil watched the crescent moon rise, pencil tapping against his desk.

His heart was beating hard, and he took a deep breath to calm it. He turned to his letter and folded it.

—————

Neil sat at the edge of a high drop. The grass was soft, despite it being autumn.

He kicked his legs, deep in thought. He then looked down at his hands.

The pill bottle glinted.

Neil took a deep breath and uncapped the bottle, then lifted it.

“What are you doing!” A screech came from behind him. Neil didn’t even flinch, just sighed and dropped his hand.

Max’s ghostly and angry face was in his line of vision in an instant, and his hands shot out to cup Neil’s face. “The hell were you thinking? I told you! I told you to wait!”

Neil smiled, tears building but refusing to fall. “I’m impatient,” he whispered, but he abandoned the bottle and curled his arms around Max.

Max shook his head ferociously. “Don’t ever scare me again,” he hissed, taking the bottle in a faded palm and throwing it over the edge. He tucked himself back into Neil’s chest, using all of his power to make him solid enough to be held.

“I’m sorry, Max.”

Max huffed. “You better be sorry,” he murmured.

Then he felt something pierce through his body, and frowning, he gazed into Neil’s glowing eyes and sad smile.

Max pushed himself up and saw blood.

He screamed.

——————

No matter how much he begged, pleaded, and cried, the golden light in Neil’s eyes flickered and died.

He stayed right at the cliff’s edge, holding his knees, even as they took his body away to bury.

Footsteps coming towards him were listened to, but not reacted to. The person sat next to him, and Max smothered a sob.

David sighed. “You tried to stop him.”

Max nodded, tears spilling from his eyes. “I-I— I tried to—“ he hiccuped.

“I know,” David repeated. “I know.”

They stayed there for a whole night. 

—————

The TV crinkled, and light spilled into the dark living room.

“The body of Neil Armstrong was found this morning on October the 20th, 1975,” the reporter monotoned.

“A knife went through his heart, and even though a boy his age cannot pierce his chest with that amount of strength at that angle, his body showed no signs of struggle. Police assumed it was assisted suicide.

“They found pills scattered at the bottom of the cliff. We assumed that there was someone to try and stop..”

“The first anniversary of Neil Armstrong’s death.”

“The second anniversary..”

“The tenth...”

“The 40th...”

“The 48th anniversary of Neil Armstrong, who died of suicide.” 

The girl, a simple teenager pretending to be a reporter in the school’s TV, was behind the desk.

“On this day, October the 20th, we ask the citizens of Campbell to pay tribute to all the children who died by making floating lanterns and releasing them into the sky.”

——————

Max sat on the cliff. He hadn’t moved. Even after all this years.

David’s son, only 19, sat beside him, his legs crossed. “You sure you don’t want to come home?” He asked, into the silence. “It’s been 48 years.”

Stubbornly, Max shook his head.

The living man shrugged and stood up. “You know where to find us,” he said, and stood. He patted the big maple tree, planted in Neil’s honour, then walked away.

Max stayed.

——————

“-ax. Max!”

Max snapped his eyes open. He scrambled to his knees and gazed over to the bottom of the cliff.

Neil’s shimmering form was there, smiling and waving. His eyes were as bright as the lanterns in the sky.

THE END.

**Author's Note:**

> Do you hate me yet?
> 
> My inboxes are always open for prompts!! If you have any, please check me out at @loveydoveyowo (Instagram) and @Ashington#0753 (discord)! I would love to write oneshots for all of you!


End file.
